What Chuck Does

There Something in My ‘Juice’

I’ve been taking Muscletech’s Nitro-Tech (powdered protein supplement) off and on for about 5 years now. I think I’ve gone through maybe 3 of their 4 lbs. bottles. Recently however, I ran out and went to GNC to purchase a new bottle and discovered they’ve changed their formula.

When I first started taking Nitro-Tech, it was basically a protein supplement with a timed release system called RTS. RTS had some creatine in it but otherwise was a hodgepodge of amino acids. My last bottle of Nitro-Tech was produced in 2005 (these things never go bad).

Fast forward 3 years and Nitro-Tech has “changed”. Most of the change has to do with marketing itself to meet the demand for different supplements such as NO2. The new Nitro-Tech has new proprietary ingredients:

Each serving of Nitro-Tech Hardcore contains a Nitrogen Delivery System™. This exclusive system consists of three anabolically infused blends – each loaded with high-quality amino acids that have a proven track record for building muscle. The first is SynthePro^®, an exclusive, ultra-absorbing amino acid matrix designed to maximize muscle growth. The second is Insulogen^®, a complex of anabolic insulin drivers designed to support insulin secretion, maximize insulin sensitivity, and prime your muscles for nutrient supersaturation. Nitro-Tech Hardcore’s third proprietary blend is Nitroxen^®, an amplified nitric oxide accelerator formulated to turbocharge amino acid delivery to your expanding muscles for a surge of serious growth.

I know that most of this is marketing. Muscletech realizes that the market demands some sort of hemodilation effects from supplements, hence they’ve “created” Nitroxen. Funny thing is when I look at the ingredients, there’s evidence of argenine alpha-ketoglutarate which is what NO2 consists of. Matching the 2005 ingredient list to the 2008 ingredient list, I find that SynthePro, Insulogen, and Nitroxen are simply component breakdowns of the RTS that was in my 2005 Nitro-Tech. Hell one of the only real differences between Nitro-Tech 2005 and 2008 is that they added aspartame in my 2008 bottle!

That said, I had a bad-ass workout today. Might have been the fact that I was well rested, but taking Nitro-Tech before (and after) the workout definitely helped. It’s likely the creatine which in my experience does have a positive effect on lifting more reps.

Bottom line: I like my Nitro-Tech. I can live with the nasty-gas that I get from taking this stuff.